GLC - DOC - 160802 - Book 2 4th Ed REF 1

BOOK 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES (4th Edition)
Copyright © 2016 by Global Leadership Center
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording, or any other, without the prior
permission of GLC.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction page 4
How to Use This Workbook page 5
Session 1: One Connection page 7

Prayer
Session 2: One Basis page 17

The Bible
Session 3: One Family page 27

The Church
Session 4: One Step page 37

Baptism
Session 5: One Focus page 45

Worship
Session 6: One Task page 55

Witnessing
What’s Next? page 61
Suggested Answers page 63
Appendix A: How to Facilitate a Small Group Discussion page 71
Appendix B: Evaluation Tool for Small Group Facilitation page 87
Appendix C: Leading Discussions page 91
Appendix D: Tips for Facilitating page 95
Appendix E: Answer Key to EXPLORE Session 5 page 101
Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

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INTRODUCTION
We would like to let you know that we are excited for what’s in store for you
as you step into the greatest adventure of your life—following Jesus Christ!
What you will find in this study is a simple guide for advancing in your journey
with Jesus.
You will learn about spiritual habits that, when practiced diligently through
God’s enablement, will help you know Jesus more. You will also discover
opportunities to obey his will for your life. We are confident that the more
you know Jesus, the more you will love God. The more you love God, the
more you would want to live your life for Him. A life lived for God is the
greatest adventure of all! So welcome to the next step of your journey with
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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HOW TO USE
THIS WORKBOOK
This workbook is for the GLC Essentials Book 2: Spiritual Disciplines study. It
can be used as a stand-alone Bible study guide for small groups.
If you are a small group servant/facilitator, all you have to do is make sure that
you do a personal Bible study using this workbook ahead of your small group
meeting for preparation. Encourage your group members to have their own
workbooks. Do not divert the teaching topic – stick to what is in the workbook.
The workbook includes the Bible lesson, and individual and small group learning
activities to help you get the most out of your meetings. There are five parts in
every session: Explore, Examine, Express, Experience, and Equip.
• Explore — contains individual and small group activities that help
prepare you for the Bible study.
• Examine — this is where you go through the Bible lesson with your group.
• Express — this is where the members of the group get a chance to
express more of their insights, questions and thoughts about the
Bible lesson. They can do it in writing, doodling or drawing, and
sharing to the rest of the group.
• Experience — this section is accomplished outside the group
meeting time. There are suggested individual or group Life Apps that
will hopefully help you experience life transformation as you apply
God’s truth in practical ways.
• Equip – this section is to be accomplished by your small group or
Dgroup member with your coaching and mentoring. This is the “on-
the-job” training for every member of a Dgroup to become a discipler
(someone who is a Christ-committed follower and helps others
become Christ-committed followers also).
This workbook is just a tool. We need to depend on the Holy Spirit to teach us
God’s truth and transform our hearts as we study the lessons in this module.
We pray that as you go through and apply principles from Book 2: Spiritual
Disciplines, you will have meaningful encounters with our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.

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SESSION 1
ONE CONNECTION
Prayer
If you had the opportunity to meet personally with the President or the
highest official of your country, what would you say to him? We probably
have all dreamed of what to say or how to act if we ever had the chance.
But how many people really get the opportunity to spend an extended time
of conversing with someone in such a high position? Very few.
Amazingly, we all have the opportunity to speak to someone in an even

more important position -- none other than the Lord and Creator of the
whole universe. Wherever we are, we have a hotline to Him through prayer.
Yet many of us never benefit from this great opportunity because we neglect
to pray.
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EXPLORE
Pair up and share your top three prayer concerns. Please limit the prayer
items to that which directly affects you, the sharer. (We do not practice
sharing confidential concerns of other people).
The third item could be a concern of another person, perhaps a family

member or an officemate that is non-confidential in nature. The partners
take turns praying for each other from the heart and using their own words.
LEARNING NUGGET
Perhaps we feel that we do not know the right way to pray for our concerns,
or for other people’s concerns. It should encourage us to know that Jesus
demonstrated how we should pray during His earthly ministry.
Prayer is an integral part of the Christian life and an important component

of discipleship in our small groups. A simple guideline that we have for
praying with others is to practice prudence when we share concerns of
other people as prayer items. Confidential matters about other people are
not shared as prayer items unless we have direct permission to do so from
the people concerned.
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EXAMINE
Biblical Truths About Prayer
A. Prayer is personal communication with God.
Read Matthew 6:9

God made us and has redeemed us for fellowship with Himself and
prayer is our means of communicating to Him. Prayer is our way of
personally relating and connecting to Him. The phrase “Our Father in
heaven” indicates that God is not only majestic and holy, but also
personal and loving. As our heavenly Father, He longs to communicate
with us and to make Himself known to us. We can address Him as Father,
indicating our closeness and relation to Him.
Read Psalm 81:13

This Psalm speaks of God’s desire for his people to listen to Him. Most
often we think of prayer as always asking for something from God. But
there is more to prayer than asking from God. It is very important as
well, that we have to listen to God and allow Him to speak to us. God
speaks to us in and through the Bible, which the Holy Spirit opens up
and applies to us and enables us to understand. He can also speak to
us through other means as well. We then respond accordingly to what
He has said.
B. Prayer develops our intimate personal relationship with God.
Read Psalm 27:8; Psalm 84:2

While God is pleased as a loving Father to give us many of the things
we ask Him for, His real purpose in granting us the privilege of prayer
is to build the Father/child relationship with Him. More than just giving
and receiving; it is building an intimate relationship with Him. Prayer is
a necessary means to developing our relationship with God. The more
we talk and listen to God, our intimacy will deepen.

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C. Prayer shows our dependence upon God.
Read Psalm 62:8

In prayer we recognize who we are and who God is. We see our
helplessness, limitations and failures in the light of who God is and
what He can do in our lives and in the lives of others. When we pray
to God, it shows our dependence upon Him for everything we need
as His children. Believers pray and humbly acknowledge their need
and express themselves as trustfully depending on God to meet it.
D. Pray in faith.
Read James 1:6-8; Matthew 21:22

Faith is essential to our Christian walk and especially in prayers. Faith
is being sure of what we hope for, especially in terms of what we ask
for in prayer. Faith is belief in the abilities, wisdom, goodness of God
and that He is more than able and willing to answer our requests.
God can do amazing things in response to prayer offered in faith to
Him. Our “prayer of faith” fundamentally expresses trust in the God
who is all-loving and generous, but who is also all-wise and
sovereign.
E. Pray according to God’s will.
Read 1 John 5:14

God’s will is always for our best. He will always work out for the
accomplishment of His will and purposes. As believers, our main goal
is to seek His will and purposes in our lives, and those that concern
His work and kingdom. We must remember that God, who knows
what is best in a way that we do not, may deny our specific requests
as to how the needs should be met. When we say that God’s will be
done, we are surrendering our own expressed preference to the
Father’s wisdom as Jesus did in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:39-44).
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F. Jesus modeled a lifestyle of prayer.
Read Luke 5:16

Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father in unbroken communion. He
began his public ministry in prayer. He prayed in solitude before
dawn and marked the turning points of his ministry with periods of
prayer. Before he went to the cross he agonized in prayer submitting
to His Father’s will. Such is the prayer life of Jesus. As followers of
Jesus, we too must follow his example. If Jesus prayed while he was
on earth, how much more we should be living a lifestyle of prayer.
Jesus Teaches His Disciples How to Pray

If you are not yet very comfortable with prayer, you are in good company.
Even the disciples needed some instruction on how to pray. Turn your Bible
to Matthew 6 and see what Jesus taught them when they asked Him how
to pray.
Read Matthew 6:5-8

1. How are we not to pray? What attitude should we have about God
when we come to the Lord in prayer? Why?
Read Matthew 6:9-10

2. Who is the central focus of the first part of the Lord’s prayer? What
does this teach us about how we should talk to God in prayer?

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Read Matthew 6:11-13
3. What elements are seen in the second half of the prayer? What does
that tell us about how to talk to God in prayer?
Read Matthew 6:14

4. Why do you think Jesus included verse 14 in His instruction concerning
prayer? If there is sin in your life, or if your heart is not right with the Lord,
what should you do? What role does our heart attitude play in prayer?
Aspects of the Lord’s Prayer

From this passage we can see that there are at least five
aspects of prayer implied:
1. Praise and worship: acknowledging God as both
Lord and Father (verse 9)
2. Intercession: praying for God’s will and work to
be accomplished not only in our own lives but for
others’ as well (verse 10)
3. Supplication: praying for our own needs
(verse 11)
4. Confession: acknowledging our need for His
forgiveness and grace to purify our hearts
(verse 12)
5. Seeking guidance: asking God to keep us following
His will and walking in His way.
(verse 13)
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Prayer is much more than asking for things. While God is pleased as a
loving Father to give us many of the things we ask, His real purpose in
granting us the privilege of prayer is to build the Father/child relationship
with Him. More than just giving and receiving, it is building an intimate
relationship with Him.
5. There are many amazing promises in the Bible about what God will
do when we pray. To see how God will answer if we meet the proper
conditions of prayer, read the following verses and fill in the chart:
VERSE CONDITION PROMISE
John 14:13
1 John 5:14-15
Philippians 4:6-7
John 15:7
Luke 11:5-10
James 5:16

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6. According to 1 Timothy 2:5, how many mediators are there between
God and man?
7. Based on what the Bible teaches, who can be the only mediator
between you and God? (1 Timothy 2:5)
8. In your experience, have there been other mediators that you prayed
to before?
9. Now that you know what the Bible says about who our only mediator
is, how will you apply this in your prayer life?
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EXPERIENCE
1. When you pray, what do you spend most of your time talking about?
How does your normal prayer compare to the pattern Jesus gave us?
2. Take some time to plan your prayer time. Try applying the pattern
used by Jesus when He prayed.
3. Begin a “Prayer Notebook”. Write down your specific requests then

note how and when God answers that prayer. The Prayer Notebook
can be organized as follows:
DATE
DATE REQUEST ANSWER
ANSWERED

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EQUIP
On-the-Job Training: 30 minutes
Your discipler will discuss with you general principles on how to facilitate
a small group discussion. (See Appendix A)
For more practical tips on how to facilitate, see Appendix C and Appendix
D.
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others around you, starting

with those you have been praying for in the past weeks.
SESSION 2
ONE BASIS
The Bible
When we receive Christ into our lives, we are brought into a personal
relationship with Him. In any growing relationship, there must be good
two-way communication. Last session was about prayer – how we are able
to build a relationship with Him through prayer. In this session, we will learn
about how God also speaks to us through His Word, the Bible.
Mark 7: 7-8, 13 says, “’They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules
taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding
on to the traditions of men. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradi-
tion that you have handed down.”
This Bible passage shows us that our highest and final authority in all things
should be God’s Word and not religious traditions or human authority.
As followers of Christ, we need to obey what the Bible teaches, otherwise,

God will consider our worship of Him useless.
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EXPLORE
Go through this activity individually. You have 5 minutes to complete this
EXPLORE section.
Please read all instructions given below before you do anything:

1. Find a pen and paper.
2. Write your name at the top of the paper.
3. Write the numbers 1 to 5, one per line.
4. Draw five small circles beside #1.
5. Put an “X” in the second and fourth circles next to #1.
6. Write the word ‘encyclopedia’ beside #3.
7. On the back of the paper multiply 7 x 9.
8. Put an X in the lower right-hand corner of the paper.
9. Draw a circle around the X you just made.
10. Underline your name.
11. Say your name out loud.
12. Draw a circle around #4.
13. Count the number of words in this sentence and write the answer
beside #2 on your paper.
14. Put a square around #1 and #5.
15. Punch 3 small holes anywhere in the paper.
16. Write your first name beside #4.
17. Write today’s date beside #5 on your paper.
18. Circle every letter ‘E’ you have written.
19. Stand up and say ‘I HAVE FINISHED FIRST’ if you were first, else say
‘I HAVE FINISHED’ out loud, then sit down.
20. Now that you read all of the instructions, do only the first two and
skip the rest.
If you have followed the instructions correctly, you should only have your
name on the paper!
LEARNING NUGGET
To follow instructions faithfully, we need a trusting heart. We need to trust that

whoever gave the instructions is trustworthy and knows what he or she wants
us to accomplish in the end. If we do not trust the Instructor, we probably will
not follow the instructions faithfully either. God gave us instructions for the
way He designed life to be lived. If we fully trust God, we will fully obey His will
for our lives as well.
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EXAMINE
Is the Bible Really God’s Word?
For Christians, the Bible is our primary source for knowing God and His
ways. It is a living book through which God Himself speaks to us for our
instruction, inspiration and direction.
But are we certain that it is really God’s Word? Can it be relied upon?
Consider the following facts:
The Bible is unique in human literature. It was written by over 40 authors,
in three languages, on three continents, over a period of 1500 years, yet is
without contradiction or error. Imagine reading three newspapers today
that describe the same event yesterday – they almost certainly would not
agree, even on important details. So the unity of the Bible is amazing!
The Bible chronicles hundreds of prophecies that have already come to
pass, many of them in ways that are beyond human control. For instance,
Psalm 22 predicts the manner of Jesus’ death on a cross with horrible
precision. Yet it was written by King David hundreds of years before the
Romans invented the use of a cross for capital punishment! Such a prediction
would be impossible apart from the knowledge of God Himself.
The ancient manuscripts attest to the Bible’s accuracy. The more numerous
the copies and the closer they are to the original writing, the greater certainty
we have of the accuracy of a material. There are thousands of ancient
manuscripts and fragments of the Bible, some from within a hundred years
of its writing. By contrast, the earliest manuscripts of ancient classics like
Aristotle or Caesar date from more than a thousand years after their writing,
and are attested to by only a handful of manuscripts. No ancient document
comes close to the Bible in manuscript evidence.
The Bible has survived repeated attempts to stamp it out of existence. In
AD 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian decreed that all Bibles should be
burned. Less than a generation later, however, Christianity was accepted
as the true religion of Rome! Voltaire was quoted as having predicted that
the Bible would be relegated to the junk heap of history within 100 years
of his death. Ironically, Bibles were being printed on a printing press in his
own home 50 years later. More than 200 hundred years after his death,
demand for the Bible shows no evidence of waning. These facts show us
that, yes, the Bible is the reliable and infallible (without error) Word of God.

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Why Follow God’s Word?
Read Psalm 119:105
1. How does the Word of God help us?
Read II Timothy 3:16-17

2. How does Paul describe the benefits of the Bible? In what ways do
these relate to our lives?
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How Do I Learn About God’s Word?
I. Through Bible Reading
Read Deuteronomy 17:18, 19
3. What was the instruction given for kings to do when they begin
their reign? Why do you think they had to write the whole Law
(the Bible) down by hand? Why is regular reading of the Bible
important to our lives?
II. Through Personal Bible Study

Read Ezra 7:9, 10
4. Why was the hand of God with Ezra? What did Ezra commit
himself to do? What were the three elements of his commitment?

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The Obedience-Based Bible Study (OBBS)
The Obedience-Based Bible Study is a simple, easily reproducible process
of not just studying but applying God’s Word. Here is how it works:
Take a blank piece of notebook paper and fold it into thirds (like a three-
fold brochure). At the top of the left section write, “God’s Word”. At the
top of the middle section write, “My Words”. At the top of the right section
write, “I will”.
GOD’S WORD MY WORDS I WILL
1. Begin by writing out word for word the verses you or your group will
study in the “God’s Words” (left) section of your paper. It takes time but
it will help you look carefully at the passage.
2. Write down a paraphrase of the passage in the “My Words” (middle)

section. Pretend you are retelling the passage to a friend. Use your
own words, and make sure you cover everything in the passage.
Retelling it helps you make sure you really understand what it means.
3. Write down what you will do as a result of what you have learned in
the “I Will” (right) section. This is the most important part of OBBS!
This should always be written in the form, “I will _______.” That
makes it a commitment between you and God to obey what you
have learned. Then commit to the Lord that you will indeed do it, and
ask Him for the power and strength through the Holy Spirit to do so.
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OBBS in a Dgroup
When doing OBBS in a DGroup or D12, follow the same process. After each
person in the group has completed the “My Word” section, ask several
people to share their “My Words” paraphrase.
After several group members retell the Scripture, you can study the passage
together. Your discussion must be question-driven to facilitate the discovery
process. No one in the group should dominate the discussion or “teach”
about the passage.
Below are some questions to encourage interaction with Scripture:
✔✔ Did anything in this passage capture your attention?
✔✔ What did you like about this passage?
✔✔ Did anything bother you? Why?
✔✔ What does this passage tell us about God?
✔✔ What does this passage tell us about Man?
✔✔ What does this passage tell us about living to please God?
In a group setting, each person should share their “I Will” statement for
accountability. Make sure that action plans follow the SMART Goals Principles
and that each member commits to confidentiality.

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SMART Goals Principles
S imple
M easurable
A ppropriate
R ealistic
T ime-bound
Examples:
COMMON STATEMENT SMART GOAL

I will be more loving toward my I will buy my wife roses this
wife and tell her that I love her. week.
I will control my temper. I will count to ten before

reacting when a car cuts me off
in traffic on EDSA this week.
I shouldn’t gossip. I will politely change the subject

when Bing calls me up tonight
to tell me about the terrible
things her sister did to her.
Finally, each member of the group should determine who they will share
this with. The best way to internalize a lesson is to share it with someone
else. And when you do, you will also begin the habit of helping others know
and follow Christ too!
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EXPERIENCE
1. Practice OBBS on Matthew 7:24-29. What does the passage show
about the importance of obedience?
2. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. According to this verse, how much of the

Bible (Scripture) is inspired by God? If that is the case, how should we
respond to what the Bible instructs us to do or not to do?
3. Begin an annual reading program with the goal of reading the entire
Bible in the next 12 months. Check out the Bible reading plans at www.
biblegateway.com/reading-plans/
EQUIP
Your discipler will demonstrate to you how to facilitate a small group

discussion using Book 1: One by One, Lesson 1.
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others around you, starting

with those you have been praying for in the past weeks.
Teach new believers the Book 1: One by One lessons; have the first meeting
within 48 hours of their decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord.

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SESSION 3
ONE FAMILY
The Church
Many people have been raised attending a church regularly. Whether you
were raised in a religious family, or had few experiences with church life,
you probably have some idea of what a “church” should be. Most of our
beliefs and expectations regarding the church have been based on what
we were familiar with through our upbringing as children.
Yet the church, which the Bible describes, is very different from that which
many of us are familiar with. How is the church described in the Bible, and
how should we, as believers in Christ, relate to the church?
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EXPLORE
Do this activity by pairs. For each pair, assign one to be the timer, and the
other to be the one to accomplish the task described below. The timer will
simply take note of how fast his or her partner can accomplish the activity.
Part 1:
The person assigned to accomplish the task must keep one hand behind
his or her back at all times. With the other hand, turn the pages of this
workbook starting from the front cover page until you reach the back
cover page. The timer takes note of how fast you accomplished the task.
Part 2:
The person assigned to accomplish the task now can use both hands to
turn the pages of this workbook from the front cover page to the back
cover page. The timer takes note of how fast this is accomplished.
Part 3:
The timer determines the time difference between his or her partner’s
performance in Part 1 and Part 2. Chances are, the partner accomplished
the task much quicker when both hands were used to do so.
LEARNING NUGGET
The Church is called the Body of Christ in the Bible, and like the human
body, it is made up of many parts with different functions. As our EXPLORE
activity demonstrated, we function much better when parts of our body
work together in harmony to accomplish the same purpose.
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EXAMINE
The First Church
Read Acts 2:40-47

1. What are four elements which characterized the life of the New
Testament Church? What were some evidences that God was at work
among them?
Biblical Definition of Church

“Called-out” assembly of genuine believers; not a
building.
Wouldn’t it be exciting to be a part of something so dynamic? The kind

of church this passage describes is probably very different from most
churches we have known. But this is the way God intended the church to
be! Let’s continue to look in the Bible to see what the church is supposed
to be.

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Paul and the New Testament Churches
Read Acts 14:21-23
2. What did Paul do on this trip to plant churches? Who were the people
who remained behind to lead the churches?
Read Acts 14: 26-27

3. What do you think it means that they “gathered the church?” What
does this passage tell you about the nature of the church?
Read Acts 20:20

4. Where did Paul meet with and teach the new believers? Why do you
think it was more effective for Paul to teach in this context (home)?
Dgroups and the Early Church

Although the Bible doesn’t use the term “Dgroup” or
“Discipleship Group,” much of what took place during
the birth and growth of the early church during the New
Testament times is very similar to the groups that we meet
in today. In the small group, there is fellowship, teaching,
worship, evangelism, all of the basic components of a
church. Yet it is an intimate group where there can be open
communication, personal care and accountability. This is
the heart of what the Bible describes as the “church” in
the first century...it should also be the central focus of our
church involvement today.
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Paul Teaches About the Church
I. The Church as a “body”
Read I Corinthians 12:12-16
5. How does the idea of a body help us to understand how the
church works?
Read Ephesians 1:22-23

6. Describe the composition of the church. What are the implications
of having Christ as “head” and us as the “body”?
II. Different members, different gifts

Read Ephesians 4:11-13
7. In verse 11, what did God give to the church? Why did God give
these gifts to the leaders of the church? Who is supposed to do
the work of the ministry?
III. The Church Leader

Read Titus 1:5-9
8. According to verses 6-8, what are some of the qualifications for
the leaders?

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The Church in Summary…
✔✔ The Church is Christ’s Body
✔✔ Jesus is the Head of the Body
✔✔ We are all parts of the Body
✔✔ We each have an important role to play

in the Body
✔✔ We need leaders to train us for those roles
✔✔ Leaders are elders, deacons and overseers
✔✔ Elders are chosen because of their maturity
✔✔ Sound doctrine is critical for the life

of the Church
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The New Testament Church
As we have seen, the church as it is described in the Bible is not a place,
but a community of people with a new relationship with Jesus Christ. It is
a source of teaching from the Bible by those who are more mature in their
walk with Christ; an opportunity to meet and grow together with other
brothers and sisters in Christ; a new web of relationships where love and
support can be given and received; and it is where we worship the Lord
together. It is also a place where every person has a valuable part to play
to keep the church healthy and growing. You are part of Christ’s church,
and you should make it a high priority in your life.
9. Before going through this lesson, how was your understanding of the
church different from or similar to what the Bible teaches?
10. How will you make the church a priority this week?

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EXPERIENCE
1. Do you belong to a local church fellowship? If not, would you prayerfully
consider being part of a church fellowship and Dgroup? What benefits
do you think this can bring?

2. If you are part of a church fellowship or a small group, recall a time

when the church body has extended help and support to you during a
time of need. What impact did it make on your walk with Christ?

3. In view of the church being a “body”, what part would you say you are?
Given your gifts, what are you able to contribute to the body?
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EQUIP
Your discipler will evaluate your level of preparedness to facilitate a Book
1: One by One small group discussion. See Appendix B for the evaluation
criteria.
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others around you. Teach new

believers the Book 1: One by One lessons; have the first meeting within 48
hours of their decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord.

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SESSION 4
ONE STEP
Baptism
There are many changes that happen in our lives when we come to know
Jesus as Savior and Lord. Many of those changes take place on the inside
– in our hearts. But the Bible shows us one step of obedience that all
true followers of Christ are expected to take – water baptism. As we will
see, water baptism is an outward symbol of those inward changes. In this
lesson, we will be looking at what the Bible teaches about taking that step
of obedience to Jesus.
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EXPLORE
Throwback
Recall one particular act, practice or discipline that your parent or teacher
instructed you to do but which you found difficult to obey when you were a
child or a teen, e.g., finishing off your dinner or sleeping early. Why was it
so difficult for you then? What, if any, were your “delaying tactics” to avoid
doing what you were told to do?
LEARNING NUGGET
Our human authorities are not perfect. Yet when we look back at most
of what they wanted us to do when we were children, they were after
our own good. God is our perfect Heavenly Father, and we can trust that
whatever He commands us to do will be for our ultimate good. We also
need to understand that delayed obedience is actually disobedience.
38
EXAMINE
Following Christ
First, we must look at what it really means to follow Jesus. What does
obedience look like according to the Bible? What does it mean to really
follow Christ?
Read John 14:15

1. What is a clear sign that a person really loves Jesus? Why is that a sign
of being a real follower of Christ?
Read Luke 14:26-28; 33

2. In verse 28, what does Jesus say we need to do before we decide
to build something? When it comes to following Christ, what does it
mean to “calculate the cost?”
3. In verses 26 and 33, what are some of the things we must count as
less important than following Christ?
Not everyone that follows Christ literally gives up family and possessions.
But Jesus’ point is that we must be willing to give up everything to truly
be Christ’s followers. We must be willing to obey everything that He
commands us to do.

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Jesus’ Step of Obedience
Although Jesus was the Son of God, He submitted Himself to the Father
by being baptized by John. Jesus did not need to be baptized to take His
sins away. He was baptized as an act of obedience to the Father’s will. The
Father expressed His pleasure by declaring that Jesus was His beloved
Son. It was only after Jesus publicly submitted to the will of the Father by
being baptized that He began His public ministry.
Luke 3:21-22
Step of Obedience for Early Believers

The following passages describe people responding to the gospel in the
early days of Christianity. Look up each passage, and describe in your own
words what happened to the early Christians as soon as they believed in
Jesus.
Acts 2:41
Acts 8:12
Acts 8:35-37
Notice the sequence in these passages. First, they believed, then after
believing they were baptized. Baptism is not the way people become
saved. It is an outward expression of the faith they have in Christ.
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Remember the formula for salvation we learned earlier:
(good works, religion, baptism)
##
Faith in + nothing changed life,
$$
Christ = SALVATION " "good works ##
(including
obeying and
being baptized)
Why Should We Be Baptized?

I. Because it is part of obedience to Christ as His disciples.
Read Matthew 28:18-20
4. What were the disciples to do as they made disciples?
II. Because it is a picture of what happened to us when we were saved.

Read Romans 6:3, 4
5. What happened to us when we were spiritually baptized into Christ?
What does physical baptism (being immersed into water) represent?

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What is Baptism?
The baptism the early disciples practiced was different than what many
people today go through as babies. In the New Testament, baptism was
practiced by people who had chosen to place their faith in Christ and become
His followers. It was a choice that believers themselves made to publicly
identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ by obeying Him in baptism.
Baptism in the Bible comes from the Greek word, baptizo. According to the
Thayer Smith Greek Lexicon, it means “to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to
submerge (of vessels sunk), to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash,
to make clean with water, to wash one’s self.”
One of the earliest uses of the word described the process of making
pickles in the second century BC. First, a cucumber was washed (from
another Greek word, bapto), then, it was immersed in vinegar (baptizo)
until it had absorbed the flavor of the vinegar and spices and became a
pickle. The cucumber became completely identified with the new aroma
and flavor of what it was immersed in.
That is what happens to us when we are baptized into Christ – we become

completely identified with Him. When we place our faith in Christ, we are
spiritually baptized (immersed in and united with Him) in His death, burial and
resurrection. When we obey Him by being baptized physically, we declare
publicly what happened to us when we believed in Christ for salvation.
6. Before going through this study, how was your idea of baptism different
from or similar to what the Bible teaches about it?
7. How will you now apply what the Bible teaches about baptism?
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EXPERIENCE
1. What are some areas in your life that you need to ‘count the cost’ in
following Jesus?
2. Are you willing to be baptized as an outward step of declaring that

you want to follow Jesus? If so, how and when will you take that step
of obedience? GLC organizes a baptism ceremony at the end of every
GLC Essentials cycle at CCF Center and CCF satellite churches. Take a
step of faith and sign up for this wonderful opportunity to declare your
commitment to Jesus Christ!
3. Who can you share this decision with, so they will understand your
commitment to follow Jesus?
EQUIP
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others. Invite those who

respond positively to the gospel to join your small group. Your discipler
will continue to coach you as you facilitate Book 1: One by One sessions
in your small group.

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SESSION 5
ONE FOCUS
Worship
One of the most important elements of our new life in Christ is worship
within the church. What is worship, and how should we worship the Lord?
45
EXPLORE
Below is a list of God’s names as revealed in the Bible. Match the names
with their meaning (see list further down). Write the letter corresponding to
the meaning opposite the name on the space provided.
Names of God Meaning of God’s Names
1. El Shaddai A. “The Lord Is Peace”
2. Adonai B. “The Lord will Provide”
3. Jehovah Nissi C. “The Everlasting God”
4. Jehovah-Raah D. “The Lord Our Righteousness”
5. Jehovah Rapha E. “The Lord Is There”
6. Jehovah Shammah F. “The Lord That Heals”
7. Jehovah Tsidkenu G. “The Lord My Shepherd”
8. El Olam H. “The Lord My Banner”
9. Jehovah Jireh I. Lord, Master
10. Jehovah Shalom J. Lord God Almighty
Source: www.blueletterbible.org
See Appendix E for the Answer Key.
LEARNING NUGGET
God’s names are perfectly representative of His character or attributes.
46
EXAMINE
What is Biblical Worship?
Worship is our proper response to God for who He is, what He has done,
and what He continues to do.
In John 4:20-24, the Samaritan woman asked Jesus about worship. This
was their discussion:
“Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim

that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus
declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what
we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming
and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the
Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers
the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship
in spirit and in truth.”
Jesus tells her several important things about worship:
a. The object of their worship is the Father. Both of them agreed

that God was the only true object of worship. Their only
point of discussion was how that worship would be done.
b. Before, the temple in Jerusalem was the only place where sacrifice
for sin could take place. But when Jesus died on the cross, the
requirement for sacrifices was done away. Today, we don’t have to
be in a special building for worship. Through the blood of Christ,
we can enter into direct fellowship with God wherever we are!
c. True worshipers are characterized by two things:

they worship...

✔✔ In spirit and
✔✔ In truth

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For the rest of this lesson, we will discover what these two characteristics
are about and how they apply to our worship today.

I. Worshipping in Spirit
In the Bible, ‘spirit’ often means the innermost part of our lives. Worshipping
in spirit relates to the way that we regard the Lord in the inner recesses
of our lives.
Read Matthew 22: 36-37

1. According to Jesus, what is the greatest commandment? What
does that tell us about our worship of God?
Read Hebrews 10:19-22

2. How should our heart be as we draw near to God?
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The Old Testament contrasts two people who were the first two kings
of Israel: David and Saul. Both of them worshipped God, but the results
were very different in each case.
DAVID: WHOLE HEART SAUL: HALF HEART

II Samuel 6:5,12-14 I Samuel 13:8-14
Action Sacrifices, dancing, Sacrifices
singing
Attitude Out of gratitude – Out of obligation –
to please God wanted blessing, victory
Focus God Enemies
Manner With all his might In his own way
God’s response Established his kingdom Removed his kingdom
What was in David’s worship that was not in Saul’s that pleased God?
Why do you think Saul was unable to show this?
Is it possible to do religious ceremonies while our hearts are far from

God? How can we avoid this?

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What about idols and images?
Worshipping God in spirit means recognizing that God is spirit. This means
we cannot see Him. We cannot imagine what spirit is like, so often we are
tempted to make visible objects which will allow us to think about God in
our terms. The Bible has a number of very clear passages regarding this:
Read Exodus 32:4-10

3. What caused the Lord’s anger to burn? What did God intend to do with
them because of this great sin?
e
Not
Notice that the word “gods” is actually the same word

as ascribed to God Himself, and they were making an
image to sacrifice to so they could worship the god that
brought them out of Egypt. Actually, they thought they
were worshipping God through the use of the idol that
they made, which is very similar to the type of idols that
are common today. But the Lord was not pleased.
Read Exodus 20:4-5, Psalm 135:15-18

4. What do these passages say about idols and images? Why do you
think are they very displeasing to the Lord?
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Images and Idols
One of the least known of the original Ten Commandments is the second
commandment (Exodus 20:4-5). In fact, many people are not aware it is a
commandment. Yet the Bible is clear that God is not pleased when we bow
down or worship anything but Him. When we make an image or an idol,
it does not do justice to the greatness of who God is. We are tempted to
think that something made by human hands has spiritual power in itself.
God is not pleased when we dishonor Him in this way.
The good news is that, in Christ, we do not need extra spiritual power. We
have the Holy Spirit living inside us, and He is God Himself!
II. Worshipping in Truth
Not only are we to worship God in spirit, but we are also to worship
Him in truth. This means that our minds are very much a part of the
worship that God wants from His people. It is not enough just to be
devoted. We must worship God as He truly is.
Read Acts 2:42 and John 16:13-16

5. In these two passages, how are we led to the truth?
In order to worship in truth, it is important for us to worship in

the way prescribed by the Bible.

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Read I Corinthians 6:19
6. In the past, Israel had a physical temple where worship was to be
carried out. Where is the temple of God today? What does that tell
us about where we can worship God?
Read Hebrews 10:24-25

7. While it is possible to worship the Lord alone, this verse indicates
that worshipping with others is vital. Why is it important to
fellowship regularly together with other believers?
True worship should be “in the assembly of the upright” (Psalm 111:1).
We are admonished by the Lord to meet together regularly to worship
so that we can encourage one another. There are no “lone ranger”
Christians – we need each other so that together we may worship the
Lord in Spirit and in truth.
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EXPERIENCE
1. Pause for a moment and examine how you worship. Is it more like
David’s or Saul’s?
2. What changes in your action, attitude, focus or manner can you make
in your worship for it to be more pleasing to God?
3. Is there someone else other than Jesus Christ that you worship? If
there are idols in your life, what changes will you have to make so that
you become a true worshiper of God alone?
EQUIP
Your discipler will evaluate your level of preparedness to facilitate a Book

1: One by One lesson. (See Appendix B for the evaluation criteria.)
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others. Invite those who

respond positively to the Book 1: One by One discussion group. Have the
first meeting within 48 hours of their decision to accept Christ as Savior
and Lord.
In the process, be sure to do the EQUIP portion of your lessons with your
group members, just as your discipler has done with you.

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SESSION 6
ONE TASK
Witnessing
How did you come to know Jesus? For most of us, it was because another
follower of Christ loved us enough to want us to know Him too.
Maybe you saw something in that person that made you wonder why they
were different. Maybe they prayed for you, or showed you special con-
cern. Perhaps at some point they brought you to where you could meet
Christ or shared the message of the gospel to you personally. However it
happened, now you are a follower of Christ, too!
Now it is your turn! Just like God used someone else in your life to bring
you to Jesus, He wants to use you to do the same. He has put you exactly
where He wants you so you can bring your family, relatives, friends, class-
mates, officemates, and neighbors to Him. Jesus wants you to connect
others to Him!
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EXPLORE
Bless it Forward
Draw four (4) columns on the blank space below.
Think of three blessings you have received from a follower of Jesus that
has brought you closer to Him. On the first column, identify the giver of the
gift. On the second column, specify the blessing received and how it has
brought you closer to Jesus. On the third column, identify a person you
would like to give the same blessing to. On the last column, specify how
you plan to give the blessing.
LEARNING NUGGET
We receive so many blessings each day that we tend to take these for
granted. The greatest blessing any man, woman and child can receive
is the gift of eternal life in Christ. A Christ-committed follower has the
greatest privilege of blessing others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. When
we share Christ with someone else, we give them the opportunity to also
receive the greatest blessing of eternal life that is found only in Jesus.
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EXAMINE
I. God’s Heart
Read II Peter 3:9
1. What is God’s desire for those who don’t know Him?
Read Luke 19:10

2. Why did Jesus come to earth? What does that tell us about His
priorities? How would you compare your priorities to His?
II. Our Part

Read Acts 1:8
3. What did Jesus promise would happen when the Holy Spirit came
upon them? What would be the result?

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What is a “Witness’?
A witness is someone who recounts what they have personally seen and
heard. Some people fear that if they tell people about Christ, they will not
know enough about the Bible to answer all the questions they may get. So
they choose to stay silent. They say they will just be “silent witnesses.” But
God wants us to tell something about Him.
It is not the job of the witness to know everything. In court, a witness does
not have to be a lawyer or work in a crime lab to be credible. A witness just
needs to accurately recount what they saw and heard. It is up to the judge
or jury to come to a conclusion based on the eyewitness testimony.
That means anyone is a perfect candidate to be a witness—and that

includes you! Your role is to tell people what you have experienced – how
you met Christ, and what He has done in your life. People can debate
theology or opinions about the meaning of a Bible passage but they cannot
contest your personal experience. You are an expert when it comes to
sharing about your own life. To be a witness, you just need to share what
God has done in your life – no one can debate with that!
Read Romans 10:13-15

4. What do people need to do to be saved? What is our role in that process?
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III. How Can You Be an Effective Witness for Christ?
A. Through your life

Read Matthew 5:16
5. How should your life affect those around you?
B. Through your story

Read John 4:39
6. What did the Samaritan woman do after she met Jesus? What
was the result?
Sharing Your Story

Paul gives us a good example of how to tell your story. In
Acts 26, while Paul was still in prison, he was invited to
speak before King Agrippa. He used the opportunity to tell
the story of his life.
He began by telling about who he was before meeting

Christ – his zealous commitment to Judaism, and his hatred
for Christians. Then he told the story of his conversion –
how Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus,
and how he surrendered his life to Christ. Then he told of
the changes in his life after meeting Jesus – how his life
was now dedicated to bringing the gospel of Christ to the
whole world.
At the end, King Agrippa was so impacted he said he was

afraid Paul might convert him too!

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C. Through the gospel
Read Romans 1:16
7. How did Paul feel about sharing the gospel to others? How do
you feel about sharing about Christ with others?
Read II Corinthians 5:20

8. What does Paul call us? As ambassadors of Christ, what are
we supposed to do?
EQUIP
On-the-Job Training: 30-45 minutes
Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others, sharing the gospel

using the GWTH booklet. Invite those who respond positively to join your
small group.
Continue using Book 1: One by One in your own small group.
Your discipler will keep coaching you as you disciple your group. In the
process, be sure to do the EQUIP portion of your lessons with your group
members, just as your discipler has done with you.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
BOOK 3: GALATIANS
Great job in completing your Book 2: Spiritual Disciplines lessons! We trust

that your relationship with Jesus has been growing as you have applied
what you learned from Book 2.
To guide and equip you for your journey with Jesus, continue on with BOOK
3: GALATIANS where you will learn how to discern between authentic or
real faith that saves, and counterfeit faith that does not save. Keep on
following Jesus as you move on to your Book 3: Galatians lessons!
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SUGGESTED
ANSWERS
63
SESSION 1
1. He is not impressed with repeated or fancy words, nor does He like

meaningless repetition. We should come to God as our loving Father
because we want to meet with Him to talk to Him from our heart, not
to impress the people around us.
2. It focuses on who God is. It talks about how God is our Heavenly
Father, how God is someone to revere, and that we want His will to be
done. We should talk to God as our Heavenly Father.
3. It focuses on what we should pray for. We should pray for our daily
needs, for forgiveness if we have sinned against God, and guidance
to stay away from sin.
4. He wants us to forgive others. If we sin against God, we should ask

forgiveness. But if we do not forgive others, we will not experience His
forgiveness. If our attitude is not right, it will affect our prayers.
5.
John 14:13 Ask in Jesus’ name – He will do
for His glory, not ours whatever we ask
I John 5:14-15 Ask according He will hear us and give

to His will us whatever we ask
Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t be anxious but We will experience

pray about everything supernatural peace in
our hearts
John 15:7 Abide in Christ, Ask anything, and He will

be always connected answer your prayers
to Him
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Luke 11:5-10 Persist in asking, Everyone who asks
seeking, “knocking” receives; everyone who
seeks, finds; everyone
who knocks, the door will
be opened for him/her
James 5:16 Confess sins to one You will be healed

another; pray for each
other
6. There is only one Mediator between God and man.
7. Jesus is the only one who can be the Mediator between you and God.
8. (Give own answer.)
SESSION 2
1. God’s Word gives us guidance and direction for our lives
2. The Bible teaches us, tells us what to do, tells us what we are doing
wrong, and trains us to honor God in the way we live our lives. These
are all important to help us be more like Christ, and to be ready to
serve the Lord.
3. The instruction was for the king to write down a copy of the Law.
Writing it down by hand would help them learn what it says and
remember more accurately. Regularly reading the Bible will help us
fear the Lord, stay humble, follow the path that God wants us to follow,
and be blessed by the Lord when we obey.

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4. Because he had set his mind to study the Law, to obey it, and to teach it.
SESSION 3
1. Learning from the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread,

and prayer. Sense of awe because of signs and wonders God was
doing; selling their things to help others in need; worship and thankful
hearts; good reputation with the community; many more people came
to know Christ.
2. He preached the gospel, made many disciples and helped people

grow by visiting and encouraging them. Paul appointed some of the
people from those places who had become disciples to become elders
(leaders), and he prayed for them and committed them to the Lord.
3. He gathered all the believers to meet together. The church was the
people, not an organization, a place or a building.
4. Both in public and from house to house. Because in a smaller group

there could be more personal involvement and care. They could enjoy
greater intimacy and really encourage each other to follow the Lord.
5. It helps us understand God has given everyone a gift and all are
essential to the proper functioning of the body. Each one is important.
6. Jesus is the Head of the Church. That means He is in control, and the
parts of the Body should do what He directs them to do.
7. Prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors and teachers. They were

given so they could equip the members of the church to serve the
Lord. The “saints” (the believers) are supposed to do the work of the
ministry.
8. Good reputation, faithful to one’s spouse, children follow the Lord, not
proud, doesn’t have a bad temper, doesn’t abuse alcohol, hospitable,
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self-controlled, obeys the Lord, and is disciplined. He follows sound
doctrine and can teach people the truth in a persuasive way.
SESSION 4
1. They will obey Him. If people don’t actually do what He says, it seems
they really aren’t His followers at all.
2. V. 28 We must count the cost of following Him to see if we really are

going to follow through on our commitment.
3. V. 26 Things that must be less important than following Christ: our

families and loved ones, and even our own lives.
V. 28 Everything.
4. To baptize and to teach them to obey everything that He commanded them.
5. We were baptized into His death and resurrection. It represents being

with Him when He died, when He was buried and then when He was
raised again from the dead. It means our old life is dead and gone, and
we now have a brand new life.

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SESSION 5
1. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord completely with

everything we are. That tells us that worshipping God is not only
important but it should be a central part of our lives.
2. We should enter God’s presence with confidence; we should have

full assurance of faith that we can meet with God because of Christ’s
sacrifice for us.
David vs. Saul

David’s worship was from a whole heart, with gratitude, with all he
had.
Saul’s worship was half-hearted. He was more concerned with what

he would get out of worship than what he would give to God in his
worship.
It is possible to do religious ceremonies even though our hearts are

far from God. We need to examine our hearts or motives in everything
that we do. Our motivation for what we do should be love for Jesus.
3. The people of Israel made an idol in the shape of a calf, and worshipped
it as if it was a god. Because of that, God wanted to destroy them all
and start building a new nation through Moses.
4. We should not make any kind of idol, and we should not bow down to
or serve any idol or image. God is not pleased because He wants us
to worship Him, not idols. When we do, we are attributing diety to the
one we pray to.
Idols are not alive and can’t do anything. Those who make idols will
become like them – unable to hear, see, speak or even live. God is not
pleased because idols are not even alive, and He is. Why waste our
effort to worship something dead and without power when we can
worship the living God?
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5. We are led to the truth by being taught about the Word of God, and
through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
6. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit – He lives in us. That
means we can worship God anywhere, because He is always with us
and in us.
7. We encourage each other to love one another and to do good to

others when we gather together.
SESSION 6
1. He wants them not to perish, but to repent so they can know Him.
2. He came to seek those who are lost. That was His highest priority. We
should have the same priorities as Jesus has.
3. He promised that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit.
The result would be that they would be witnesses, telling people
everywhere about Christ.
4. They need to hear the Word of God and call upon the name of the
Lord. We can be the person that God uses to tell people about Christ.
5. People will glorify the Father when they see the way we live our lives.
6. She went and told others in her village about what Christ had done. The
result was that many people believed in Christ because of her testimony.
7. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel because it has power to bring
salvation.
8. Paul calls us ambassadors. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are to urge

people to be reconciled to God.

69
APPENDIX A
HOW TO
FACILITATE A
SMALL GROUP
DISCUSSION
71
INTRODUCTION
In this session, you will learn how to facilitate a small group meeting using
several simple principles and skills.
I. PREPARING FOR A SMALL GROUP MEETING
Hebrews 10:25
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day
approaching…
(Teacher’s Explanation: The Bible commanded us to continually meet

together in our Dgroups or discipleship groups for mutual edification.
Our Dgroup meetings should help the members become disciples
(Christ-committed followers). Therefore, the first thing that a Dgroup
leader will do is to prepare for each meeting. This is the key to the
success of every meeting. There are several things that a leader
needs to prepare.)
A. Planning
Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to
poverty
(The Bible speaks of a person who diligently and carefully plans

his work and works his plans which results in profit. Careful
planning is essential to the success of any endeavor, especially
with regards to leading Dgroups. Each Dgroup meeting needs
careful planning, especially if you are just starting out. As a leader
you should plan among other things, for the food (if you’re the
host), the date, the venue, who will be attending and the lesson.)
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B. Preparation
(Preparing in advance for every meeting is crucial to the success

of every group meeting. In any given Dgroup meeting, you need
to prepare for some important things.)
1. Know your material.

(Here in CCF, we made leading a Dgroup very easy for the
leaders. We have prepared an easy-to-use material (Books
1–8, etc.) for your convenience. If you have gone through
these materials in your Dgroup or in our GLC Level 1 Essentials
classes, then you will not have any problem as to what material
you will use. The materials are complete with the objective
and what you want them to learn and apply in their lives.)
2. Know your people.

(For first-time Dgroup leaders, you may have no prior
knowledge as to who will be the people God will bring into your
group. Who are in your group and their backgrounds? What
are their needs? Where are they spiritually? You need to know
where they are coming from and how you should be able to
approach and relate to them. As a Dgroup leader you need to
be intentional in knowing your members. You can get to know
them better by having outside one-on-one informal chats,
meetings and encounters over meals or coffee, or any other
activities that you will do together as a group.)
3. Know your venue.

(The place, location and physical environment must be
conducive to learning and must contribute to the goals
of the Dgroup meeting. The seating arrangement, room
temperature/ventilation, noise, lighting, cleanliness and etc.
must be considered in every meeting.)

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4. Know your Lord.
(As a Dgroup leader, your personal spiritual preparation
is paramount to being a faithful and effective leader. Our
growing personal walk with God is very important in leading
your members towards spiritual growth and maturity. You
must first develop your intimacy with God by communing with
Him through prayer. Also be sure to cover and saturate each
meeting with prayer. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you
understand and apply the lessons to your own life and your
members. Pray also for your Dgroup members and that you
will have a fruitful and enjoyable time together in discovering
God’s truth.)
II. FACILITATING SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS
1 Corinthians 14:26
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone
has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an
interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the
church.
(The Dgroup and the discussion that will take place during meetings
are intended for the strengthening of the group members. Everyone
that comes during the meeting must be able to contribute and
participate in the discussions. They can share their word of instruction,
hymns and other things that will help them grow into maturity. The
leader facilitates the whole equipping and learning process. Among
other things, your task as a Dgroup leader is to facilitate your group
discussions. Facilitation is a skill that every leader needs to learn.
Learning this skill is very important to the success of your meetings.)
What Then is Facilitation?

Answer: It is the skill of drawing every member to actively discuss
a particular topic, leading to a group consensus and an actionable
response from each participant.
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A. Facilitating and Teaching
(You may have many hesitations and fears that hinder you from
leading a Dgroup. You might think that you are not qualified to
lead a Dgroup because you are not a good teacher. But leading
a Dgroup is more of facilitating rather than teaching. For us to be
able to know this more we should differentiate between teaching
and facilitating.)
TEACHING FACILITATING
Teacher-centered Participant-centered
Teacher provides most of the Facilitator draws ideas from
ideas participants
Teacher does most of the Participants do most of the
talking, while participants take talking, facilitator keeps
down notes discussions focused and alive
Teacher is the subject-matter Facilitator is the process
expert (facilitation) expert
Teacher is more concerned Facilitator is more concerned
with effectiveness of delivery about the management
and content of group discussions and
learning
III. THE ROLE OF THE SMALL GROUP LEADER AS FACILITATOR
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish
one another with all wisdom…
(The believers are exhorted to let the word of God reside permanently
in them by their study and knowledge of God’s word. Therefore, each
Dgroup member has the opportunity and responsibility to teach and
admonish one another with Biblical truths. The facilitator will make
sure or see to it that this is happening in the Dgroup discussions. During

75
Dgroup discussions, the leader must remember his responsibilities of
helping the members learn God’s word from each other and in general,
making the discussions fruitful, meaningful and transformative for
everyone in the group. Here are a few of the roles that the facilitator
takes.)
A. A facilitator is simply another member of the group who is

helping to make the discussion happen.
(Aside from the other responsibilities of a Dgroup leader, when it

comes to facilitating the group’s discussions, he takes the position
of being simply another member of the group who is helping to
make the discussion happen. He does not feel and act as if he is
in any way superior in status, authority and worth from his Dgroup
members. He does not “lord over” his Dgroup members but
rather shows love, acceptance and humility towards them. He is a
servant leader whose purpose is to disciple his Dgroup members
to become like Christ. And he shows it in the way he leads the
group and facilitates the discussions.)
B. He looks for opinions not answers. He asks what the person

thinks or feels.
(The facilitator seeks for the opinions of others not just ready
canned answers. He should be sensitive to what his Dgroup
members think or feel. As much as possible, he solicits their ideas,
insights and reflections. Because in this way he will be able to find
out where his members are coming from, what their reactions are
and what is really going on in their lives. You will not become an
effective facilitator if you already have pre-judgments, biases and
stereotypes.)
C. He aims to bring everyone into the discussion.
(Everyone must be involved in the discussion and no single

person should dominate it either. The facilitator plays a key role
76
in encouraging all members to participate. He should be aware
of who is participating and who is not. He is also responsible for
creating opportunities for everyone to contribute. He also sees to
it that the discussion will not go off-track or drift away.)
D. He is a learner. He doesn’t force his own ideas.
(When the Dgroup gathers together, it is always for mutual

edification. The Dgroup leader acts as a facilitator but he is not
the only source of learning. The leader learns together with his
fellow brothers and sisters in the group. He may have his own
ideas and insights about a particular topic or issue, but he need
not impose it to the group. The leader listens and learns from
the others. The Bible will be the ultimate source of their learning
experience as they are empowered and led by the Spirit. As the
group members share their lives together, they will surely grow
towards Christ-likeness.)
E. He summarizes and asks for applications.
(The facilitator from time to time summarizes and synthesizes what

the group has said. He draws together all the various insights and
ideas mentioned by the members. Summarizing after a series
of questions allows the leader to acknowledge group members’
contributions.
Also, the goal of the Dgroup discussion and Bible study is not
just information but transformation. He should conclude each
discussion by asking each one for a practical application. The
practical application must be personal, specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic and time bound. Our GLC Level 1 Essentials
materials were designed with life applications questions and
activities. It is best to use our GLC materials for your Dgroups so
that it will be easier on the leader’s part.)

77
IV. RULES FOR FACILITATING A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only
what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it
may benefit those who listen.
(Much of what happens in a small group is a discussion about the

truths of the Bible as it is applied in the lives of the members. So
that our discussions will be productive, not unwholesome, we need
to employ several principles and skills. In order for our Dgroup
discussions to be beneficial and helpful in building up the members,
there are some rules that the facilitator have to utilize. It is therefore
essential for the Dgroup leader to know these rules of facilitating a
productive discussion.)
A. Explain the guidelines.
(First thing is to explain to the members that the Dgroup have

values and principles that the members will adhere to. It is strongly
encouraged that each member will abide by the CCF discipleship
covenant.)
Confidentiality I will not gossip about A gossip goes around

fellow members, and spreading rumors,
will ensure that what while a trustworthy
is shared in the group man tries to quiet
stays in the group them. (Prov. 11:13)
Honesty I will be open and The Lord detests lying
honest with my lips, but he delights in
Dgroup leader and men who are truthful.
fellow members. (Proverbs 12:22)
Respect I will respect those in Obey your leaders
my Discussion group and submit to their
by attending authority. They keep
78
meetings regularly watch over you as
and punctually and by men who must give an
honoring the authority account. Obey them
of my leader. so that their work will
be a joy, not a burden,
for that would be of
no advantage to you.
(Heb. 13:17)
Intercession I will pray regularly for And pray in the Spirit
my Discussion group on all occasions with
leader and fellow all kinds of prayers
members. and requests. With
this in mind, be alert
and always keep on
praying for all the
saints.(Eph. 6:18)
Spiritual Because I am joining And let us consider
Growth this group to grow how we may spur
spiritually and to help one another on
others do the same, toward love and good
I will refrain from deeds, 25not giving
conducting business, up meeting together,
borrowing money or as some are in the
using this group for habit of doing, but
purposes other than encouraging one
spiritual growth. another—and all the
more as you see the
Day approaching.
(Heb. 10:24-25)
Timothies I will have it as my And the things you
goal to eventually have heard me say in
build my own the presence of many
Dgroup... witnesses entrust to
reliable people who
will also be qualified
to teach others.
(2 Tim. 2:2)

79
B. Encourage others to talk.
(In a Dgroup, everybody is encouraged to serve and minister to

one another. As a facilitator, make sure everybody contributes to
the whole discussion. Encourage timid members to speak up and
do not allow one person to dominate the whole discussion either.
The facilitator can go around the group asking each person to
respond. For example: “Lemuel, how would you answer the
question?” It is also very important then to ask follow-up questions
(or make comments) that will draw others into the discussion, and
keep the discussion going. “Anybody else has insights or ideas?”
If you notice that someone is already monopolizing the discussion,
you can say something like “Let us hear what the others will say.”)
C. Be an active listener.
James 1:19
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry
(In this verse, we are encouraged to be quick to listen, meaning it

is an active listening. Active listening involves not only what you
hear verbally, but also what you can observe non-verbally. As
a facilitator, this means that you are actively engaging with the
person who is speaking, setting aside your personal agenda, and
keeping yourself from distracting thoughts (particularly thinking
about what you are going to say next!). Here are some tips for
active listening.1)
1
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups Bill Donahue and the Willow Creek Small groups
team Copyright © 1996, 2002 by the Willow Creek Association
80
1. What you hear verbally2
(It refers to the content of what is said. As a facilitator we must
avoid being so interested in what we are about to say that
we fail to hear the simple facts in a discussion. As you listen,
focus on what your Dgroup member has shared or talked
about such as events, dates, and other specific information
that is being revealed to the group.)
2. What you hear non-verbally3

(In active listening, it is important to observe how your Dgroup
members expressed the content. In other words, you must
watch out for the consistency of what they said and the
accompanying actions. Do the nonverbal messages match
the verbal messages? Listen for this in three areas: • Facial
expressions. When your Dgroup member says “I’m okay,”
does his/her facial expression actually communicate “I’m a
little sad”? • Tone of voice. Listen for tones of sarcasm, anger,
sadness, enthusiasm, hesitancy, fear, etc. • Body movements
and posture. Are arms and legs crossed and closed? Are
people nervous or relaxed? Does their posture indicate
interest or boredom? Remember, you can “hear” a lot just by
watching your Dgroup member’s actions.)
D. Ask the right questions.
The success of each Dgroup discussion depends on asking

the right questions wisely and diligently. Your main task as a
facilitator is to ask the group to respond to certain questions
during the discussion. Facilitating dynamic discussions requires
generating the right kinds of questions and offering appropriate
responses. Here are some guidelines for the kinds of questions
and responses that would help your group engage in meaningful
and life-changing discussions.
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.

81
Types of Questions to Ask:
1. Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions cannot be answered with a simple

“yes” or “no,” nor can they be answered by supplying a fact.
Open-ended questions encourage participants to supply
ideas, opinions, reactions, or information. Use open-ended
questions when you want people to think and participate,
especially to generate a lot of ideas or insights. An open-
ended question can be very effective to explore a subject
more deeply or to help group members be more honest with
one another.4
Why: Why did Jesus say that?

What: What does the verse say? What does it mean?
How: How does it apply?
2. Greater Response Questions
There are also other types of questions that draw out greater
responses from the members. You can use these questions
to extract from your members different kinds of responses
that would make the discussions engaging, participatory and
life-changing. The list below provides the kinds of greater
response questions and their respective examples.
A. Describe: (Ex. Describe man’s unregenerate condition in

Ephesians 2:1–3)
B. Summarize: (Ex. Summarize the relationship of the vine to

the branches in John 15)
C. Explain: (Ex. Who can explain the relationship of the
4
The Facilitator Excellence Handbook Fran Rees Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. Published by Pfeiffer An Imprint of Wiley 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
82
branches to the vine (John 15)? Can you now explain the
relationship of a Christian to Jesus?
D. Exploratory: (Ex. What else?)
E. Redirection Questions: (Ex. What do you think, Lemuel?

What do you feel, Paulo?)
F. Feedback and Clarification Questions: (Ex. Who can

paraphrase our position? Will someone summarize what
we have discussed so far? If I heard you right, you are
saying?
The key to effective questioning in a small group is knowing

how to ask the right kind of questions.
V. RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how to answer everyone.
(The Bible encourages the believers to be wise in how they spoke.

Their speech should be kind and courteous (gracious), is interesting,
invites interaction (as opposed to refusing to listen and discuss),
adds “spice” to a discussion (by penetrating to deeper levels), and is
pure and wholesome.5 Believers should always be ready to answer
questions about their faith and be ready to share words of personal
testimony.
Therefore, our Dgroup discussions must also demonstrate these

characteristics. The Dgroup discussion must also be gracious,
interesting, invites interaction, in-depth, pure and wholesome. In order
for this to happen, the leader/facilitator must learn how to respond to
questions and comments. How you and other members of the group
5
LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE COMMENTARY PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, & PHILEMON By
BRUCE B. BARTON, D.MIN. MARK FACKLER, PH.D. LINDA K. TAYLOR DAVE VEERMAN,
M.DIV.

83
respond to questions or statements will either foster or disrupt the
discussion. Facilitators need to develop responding skills. Here are
some tips on how to respond appropriately to questions or comments
made by group members.)
A. Paraphrasing
(Paraphrasing is the act of restating, in your own words, what your

Dgroup members has said. Paraphrasing allows you to repeat
the thoughts of others and enables them to share more deeply. It
summarizes what has been heard and allows the group to explore
personal feelings, thoughts, and actions. Paraphrase when a
group member is having difficulty expressing ideas more clearly
and when you think other members did not understand well the
points you’re making.)
B. Summarizing
(Summarizing keeps everyone alert and the whole group focused.

A summary is needed when a lot of points have been made and
information were gathered. It should be concise and direct to the
point. A way of summarizing is to ask someone in the group to
summarize what has been said so far. It is a good way to build this
skill in the group and to keep everyone alert to what is going on.
The best way is to ask, “Would someone like to summarize what
has been said so far?” After asking if someone will summarize,
give people time to think. If no one volunteers, go ahead,
saying something like, “Well, let me try to summarize this time.”
Occasionally ask group members to summarize, as this increases
group ownership for the whole process and empowers them to
participate and contribute.6)
6
The Facilitator Excellence Handbook Fran Rees Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. Published by Pfeiffer An Imprint of Wiley 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
84
C. KKK: Kiss, Kick, Kiss
(It is also known as the sandwich approach. You can start off
with a positive praise in order to encourage the person first for
asking the question. Then after correcting him gently or giving
the right answer, you can seal it with another positive remark. You
can simply reiterate the initial positive compliment you had given
him. Or you can speak in general terms about how much you
appreciate their questions and comments or you can complement
them on their receptiveness to receiving constructive criticism.)
VI. HANDLING DIFFICULT DGROUP MEMBERS
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love.
(One of the great challenges in leading a Dgroup is how to handle

difficult persons in your group. Remember that you and your Dgroup
members are not perfect. We are all sinners saved by God’s grace
and we have weaknesses. That is why we have to be humble, gentle
and patiently bearing with one another in love. Especially with the
ones that are difficult to deal with. God choose and will use you to
disciple them towards Christ-likeness.)
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
(God will bring different kinds of people into your Dgroup so that you
will all grow spiritually. Difficult persons are there to help you grow in
your own personal walk with the Lord, especially in terms of character
development. It takes a while before you know the personalities of
your members. Do not despair, there are proven ways and techniques
in handling different types of difficult persons. Here are a few
suggestions.)

85
Type of Difficult Persons Response
Heckler Recognize the contribution, then refo-
(Magulo/Makulit) cus the discussion. Ask the group to
respond to his idea or statement.
Rambler When there is a pause or break, thank
(Ma-istorya) him and refocus. Set rules on discussion
time and quorum.
Know-it-All Use him as a resource, but suggest that
(Feeling Genius) we generate ideas from the others first.
Give him a listening role and capitalize
on his enthusiasm.
Conversationalist Ask him for ideas and share it to the
(Ma-chika) group.
(When it is necessary, you can talk to the person gently and with
love, privately. You can ask him/her to help you make the discussions
more beneficial to everybody by pointing out what needs to be done
without making it appear that you are attacking him/her personally. It
is also very important to always pray for them. Usually these difficult
persons have struggles and challenges on their own. They will test
your patience and commitment to God’s work. But they will also help
you grow in character and ministry skills. As you patiently and faithfully
minister to them, you will also grow spiritually.)
86
APPENDIX B
EVALUATION
TOOL FOR
SMALL GROUP
FACILITATION
87
88
Use the following points to evaluate the facilitator. Be sure to turn in this
evaluation sheet to him/her at the end of the workshop. Encircle the
number found in the right column which corresponds to your evaluation
of the specific tasks of a small group facilitator on the left column. Use the
scale below as your guide:
5 4 3 2 1
Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Facilitator: Date:
The facilitator kept the discussion focused on the 5 4 3 2 1

topic
The facilitator kept the discussion lively 5 4 3 2 1
The facilitator encouraged the group to share their 5 4 3 2 1
opinions, not just give the right answers
The facilitator made sure every member had an 5 4 3 2 1
opportunity to share his/her ideas on the topic
The facilitator mostly listened; he/she let the 5 4 3 2 1
members do most of the talking
The facilitator did not force his/her own ideas in the 5 4 3 2 1
discussion
The facilitator summarized the ideas shared by the 5 4 3 2 1
group
The facilitator asked for personal application from 5 4 3 2 1
the group members
The facilitator managed the time well—the meeting 5 4 3 2 1
started and ended within the time limit
The facilitator incorporated prayer in the meeting 5 4 3 2 1
Other comments:

89
APPENDIX C
LEADING
DISCUSSIONS
Excerpt from
“The Basics of Facilitating:
What Every Small-Group
Leader Needs to Know”
by Amy Jackson
91
Here are 10 important reminders for facilitating well.
1. You are a leader, not a teacher. Empower others to discover the

truth of Scripture for themselves by asking great questions. Don’t
turn your discussion time into a lecture.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to group members through the

study materials, helping them to understand and apply the text.
While it’s great for you to share your own experiences, stories, and
opinions, let the text be the main focus.
3. Small groups are about community and spiritual growth. As you

discuss the Bible, you may be drawn into theological debates.
Remember this isn’t the purpose. You’ll need to discuss the text in
order to apply the principles faithfully, but remember the goal is
life change, not simply gaining knowledge.
4. Create a safe environment for group members to share. Don’t

put down group members’ comments or questions. Affirm people
when they share.
5. Ask open-ended questions that can’t be answered with a simple

“yes” or “no.” If you must ask a “yes or no” question, be sure to
follow it with “Why?”
6. To encourage non-talkers to participate in your discussion, call

on them by name. At the same time, never force participation,
which would create an unsafe environment. This tactic also works
to facilitate discussion when there are overly-talkative group
members by making it clear who should be speaking.
7. Stimulate further discussion by responding to members’

contributions. You can simply acknowledge their response
(“Thanks for sharing, Helen”), or you can ask guiding questions to
clarify general or vague responses (“What do you mean that you
feel selfish? Can you flesh that out for us?”). Be sure to respond
to nonverbal communication (a groan, deep sigh, or laughter) as
well—some say up to 90 percent of communication is non-verbal.
92
8. When someone answers incorrectly, respond carefully. Instead
of telling group members they’re incorrect, turn it over to the
group. Ask, “What do others think?” or “Does everyone agree?”
You can also ask, “Do you find that in Scripture?” Be gentle in
your response. It may be better to confront the issue one-on-
one outside of the meeting, especially if the group member is
passionate about his or her answer.
9. When your discussion goes off on a tangent, acknowledge the

new topic’s importance, and suggest that you table to topic until
later—either after the current discussion or after the meeting.
Having people participate—even if their comments are off-
topic—is a good thing. Just keep steering the conversation back
to the main topic. On the other hand, sometimes tangents lead
to excellent discussions. Use discernment to determine if this
tangent is something that your group members need.
10. Don’t forget to apply what you’ve learned! Ask group members how
they will live life differently because of your discussion. You can
also ask group members to identify next steps they need to take.
The 30 Second Rule

I’ll leave you with one final tip that has proven incredibly helpful in leading
groups. Too often, leaders ask a question, wait three to five seconds,
and then jump in to answer it themselves. This is not helpful—your group
members aren’t participating, and they won’t be discovering God’s Word
for themselves. Additionally, they’ll learn that you’ll always give the
answers, which will discourage future participation. Instead, always wait
30 seconds after asking a question.
In order to train yourself in this, ask a question and then glance at your
watch. Wait the full 30 seconds. You might also practice at home by sitting
in silence for 30 seconds. I will warn you that at first it will feel like an
eternity! But here’s what I’ve learned: someone will most likely speak up
with an answer before 30 seconds are up. And if no one has an answer,
someone will speak up and ask, “What was the question?” This can be a

93
clue to you that the question may not have been clear. You can reword your
question to make it clear and concise. Why 30 seconds? It takes at least
20 seconds for many people to process questions, especially questions
that synthesize information like reflection and application questions. Allow
group members the time they need so everyone can participate in the
conversation.
Your role as small-group leader is very important. You have the privilege
of working alongside the Spirit to help people grow. Never underestimate
this. As you spend time leading a group, you’ll find that these facilitation
skills will become more and more second-nature to you. In the meantime,
be intentional about leading your meetings and offer yourself grace when
you make mistakes. The truth is that God will use this leadership role to
further develop you, so enjoy the journey.
— Amy Jackson is the Managing Editor of SmallGroups.com; copyright

2012 by Christianity Today.
Source: http://www.smallgroups.com
Accessed on 5/6/2015 @ 12:10 PM
94
APPENDIX D
TIPS FOR
FACILITATING
A GROUP
DISCUSSION
Practical advice for
working toward life-change,
not spectacular meetings
by Carter Moss
95
For many small-group leaders, one of the more intimidating things we
do is facilitating a group discussion. Very few of us feel like we’ll have
all the right answers, or that we can handle whatever curve balls will be
thrown our way (and there will be some!). To make matters worse, it’s even
challenging to gauge whether we’re doing a good job or not.
But here’s the good news: that’s not what facilitating a group discussion
is really about. We don’t have to have all of the right answers. We don’t
have to lead the perfect discussion every time. We don’t even have to get
through all of the material in each meeting!
When we’re facilitating in our small group, our main goal is to create
discussion. We want to challenge people to think about the topic at hand,
and to create a safe environment for people to share their thoughts—to
help everyone feel valued about the input they’ve offered.
That’s all we’ve got to do. Thankfully, there are some established practices
and principles that can help us accomplish those goals.
Asking Good Questions

One of the most important skills in small-group facilitation is not having all
of the right answers, but asking the right questions. Here are a few secrets
to good question-asking:
1. Ask open-ended questions. Avoid the yes/no, true/false, multiple-

choice questions—”Is Jesus the sheep or the shepherd in this
parable?” Similarly, avoid questions that let people off the hook with
a simple Sunday-school answer—”Why did Jesus die on the cross?”
You want to ask questions that require people to share some actual
thoughts and feelings.
2. Ask follow-up questions. Many people default to staying pretty

surface-level with their answers to your questions, so get in the habit
of not letting them off the hook. Ask more questions that follow up on
their response. Here are some examples of good follow-up questions
for the short/simple answers that people often give:
96
• What makes you say that?
• How do you feel about that?
• How do you think that would’ve affected you if you had been living
in the time of Jesus?
• How would you explain your answer to a non-Christian friend or
neighbor?
The idea is to get at the core of what people are really trying to say.
3. Start an argument. I like to tell my groups that if we always agree with

each other, and with every word that every author we read says, then it
makes for a pretty boring group and a somewhat pointless discussion.
The point of actually discussing things is to get different perspectives
and wrestle with the issues!
Here are some examples of questions that can help create discussion
by playing a little “devil’s advocate”:
• Do you really agree with what the author is saying in that chapter?
Why or why not?
• Why did God design it to work that way? Why not just do (whatever
else) instead?
• What would you say to someone who disagrees with that?
• Why do we really have to do it like that? Why can’t we just go
(some other route) instead?
4. Make sure the rubber hits the road. I often tell my small group that
by the end of the night, we need to make sure we apply what we’re
discussing to our current lives. Otherwise we just leave group a
little smarter, rather than with changed lives. So whatever it is you’re
discussing, make sure to end with some application questions.
Here are some examples:
• So what in the world does that have to do with our lives today?
• How can you change your perspective from today regarding that
issue?
• What one thing can you do differently in this next week to start
living that out? (Some groups will add accountability to this

97
question—recording what members share and asking them to
report back the next week.)
Creating a Safe Environment

Trust is perhaps the most vital key to really making your small group a
place where genuine community can be formed. Group members need to
be able to trust each other that the group is a safe place—a place where
they can get real and know that they will not be judged, gossiped about,
and so on.
So how do you create this safe environment? There are some important
steps you can take. First, make sure to cover the privacy and safety issue
in your group guidelines, or covenant. Put it on paper that “what is said
here and happens here, stays here.” Feel free to review these same group
guidelines every single time a new person shows up to group. And as the
leader, be sure to model this safety and confidentiality yourself!
When someone shares in the group—no matter how much you may
disagree, or how theologically incorrect they may be—make sure they
feel affirmed about their answer in the moment. Later, you can (and often
should) talk to them about their comments outside of group, but it should
be done one-on-one.
Also, avoid giving unrequested advice within the group—”Well if I were

you, I’d just do this … “ That is one of the quickest ways to shut someone
down from sharing. When you hear other group members start to do this,
gently remind them that “this is a safe group, and we’re here to listen, not
to give advice.”
Handling the Challenging People

The hard part of small groups is that they involve people, and dealing with
people is always messy. One of my favorite book titles has always been
the one I find most true: Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them.
That includes me!
98
Here are some of the common “challenging people” that you may
encounter, and some tips on approaching them with grace:
• The over-talker. This person always has plenty to say, and loves
to be the first person to say it. Remind everyone in the group
guidelines that this is an equal participation group. So if you have
10 people in the group, you want each person to contribute their
10 percent to the discussion.
If the problem continues, talk to the person outside of group.

Affirm them in what they do contribute, and tell them you need
their help in getting some of the other people in the group to open
up and share. Sometimes you can go as far as to ask them to
commit to not being the first person to answer a question, or to
only answer when you call on them—or to even work out a subtle
signal you can give them when they are talking to much.
• The non-talker. This is the quiet person in the group who never
wants to share. If you think that doing so won’t scare them off even
more—that they just need a little prompting—try calling on them
periodically to share an answer. Also, be sure to affirm them big-
time when they do respond.
If that doesn’t work, talk to the person outside of group. Again,

affirm them in what they do contribute, and let them know that you
want more people to get to hear their perspective. Remind them
how valuable all of the different perspectives are to the entire
group.
• The tangent-starter. This person loves to get the group way off
track by starting random tangents and rabbit trails. First of all,
don’t get upset at the tangents, and feel free to go off on them
once in awhile. When the time comes, firmly bring the group back
on track.
If the problem becomes excessive, again, talk to the person

outside of group. Affirm them in what they do contribute, and let
them know about the challenge you have in trying to facilitate a
good group and bring across certain points each week, and how

99
the tangents make your job harder. Ask them how they can help
you.
• The insensitive person. This individual gives advice, makes

fun of answers and people, cuts people off, or does a variety of
other things to offend members within the group. This person
is dangerous to the health of your group! They can keep it from
being a safe group more quickly than anything else. So remind
everyone of the group guidelines again, and definitely have the
one-on-one conversation outside of group to let the person know
how important a safe group is, and what they can do to help make
that happen.
Remember—the end goal of a group discussion is life change, not perfect

discussions or getting through all the material. So stay open to the Holy
Spirit during each group meeting and follow where he leads. Some of the
most memorable group meetings occur when the leader is willing to scrap
the plan for the night and address a specific need, or do something fun
and spontaneous.
It’s also important to spend some time in prayer before each group
meeting. Ask that God would lead the discussion where he wants it to go.
And get an apprentice who can help you facilitate, so that you don’t have
to go it alone.
Remember that God is the one who does the work in people’s hearts—
we are not responsible for it! We are simply creating an environment for
community and life change to happen.
— Carter Moss is the Adult Ministry Catalyst for Community Christian

Church and NewThing.
Source: http://www.smallgroups.com
Accessed on 5/6/2015 @ 12:22 PM
100
APPENDIX E
ANSWER KEY
TO EXPLORE
SESSION 5
101
1. El Shaddai ----- J. Lord God Almighty
2. Adonai ---- I. Lord, Master
3. Jehovah Nissi ---- H. The Lord My Banner
4. Jehovah-Raah ---- G. The Lord My Shepherd
5. Jehovah Rapha ---- F. The Lord That Heals
6. Jehovah Shammah ---- E. The Lord Is There
7. Jehovah Tsidkenu ---- D. The Lord Our Righteousness
8. El Olam ---- C. The Everlasting God
9. Jehovah Jireh ---- B. The Lord Will Provide
10. Jehovah Shalom ---- A. The Lord Is Peace
102

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BOOK 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES (4th Edition)

Copyright © 2016 by Global Leadership Center

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

Session 1: One Connection page 7

Session 2: One Basis page 17

Session 3: One Family page 27

Session 4: One Step page 37

Session 5: One Focus page 45

Session 6: One Task page 55

What’s Next? page 61

Suggested Answers page 63

Appendix A: How to Facilitate a Small Group Discussion page 71

Appendix B: Evaluation Tool for Small Group Facilitation page 87

Appendix C: Leading Discussions page 91

Appendix D: Tips for Facilitating page 95

Appendix E: Answer Key to EXPLORE Session 5 page 101

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Amazingly, we all have the opportunity to speak to someone in an even

The third item could be a concern of another person, perhaps a family

Prayer is an integral part of the Christian life and an important component

Read Matthew 6:9

Read Psalm 81:13

B. Prayer develops our intimate personal relationship with God.

Read Psalm 27:8; Psalm 84:2

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Read Psalm 62:8

Read James 1:6-8; Matthew 21:22

E. Pray according to God’s will.

Read 1 John 5:14

Read Luke 5:16

Jesus Teaches His Disciples How to Pray

Read Matthew 6:5-8

Read Matthew 6:9-10

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Read Matthew 6:14

Aspects of the Lord’s Prayer

VERSE CONDITION PROMISE

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

3. Begin a “Prayer Notebook”. Write down your specific requests then

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Continue to practice “Pray-Care-Share” with others around you, starting

As followers of Christ, we need to obey what the Bible teaches, otherwise,

Please read all instructions given below before you do anything:

To follow instructions faithfully, we need a trusting heart. We need to trust that

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Read II Timothy 3:16-17

II. Through Personal Bible Study

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

GOD’S WORD MY WORDS I WILL

2. Write down a paraphrase of the passage in the “My Words” (middle)

Below are some questions to encourage interaction with Scripture:

✔✔ Did anything in this passage capture your attention?

✔✔ What did you like about this passage?

✔✔ Did anything bother you? Why?

✔✔ What does this passage tell us about God?

✔✔ What does this passage tell us about Man?

✔✔ What does this passage tell us about living to please God?

Book 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

COMMON STATEMENT SMART GOAL

I will control my temper. I will count to ten before

I shouldn’t gossip. I will politely change the subject

2. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. According to this verse, how much of the